COLLEGE BASKETBALL: WOMEN'S ROUNDUP; A Rarity, as Tennessee Loses Its Second Straight

Published: January 27, 2006

Top-ranked Tennessee lost consecutive games for the first time in nine years last night when Kentucky upset the Lady Vols, 66-63, in Lexington, Ky.

Jenny Pfeiffer scored 16 points, including two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Wildcats ahead by a point. Sidney Spencer then missed a 3-pointer for Tennessee and fouled Nastassia Alcius, who hit two free throws with three seconds to go for the final margin.

The Lady Vols (18-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference), who figured to drop from the top spot after their 22-point loss Monday against No. 2 Duke, will almost certainly fall further. Tennessee had beaten Kentucky (15-4, 4-2) 24 straight times since January 1986 and had a 40-5 advantage in the series.

For Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in college basketball with 900 victories, the setback came at the hands of her former pupil, Kentucky Coach Mickie DeMoss, a Tennessee assistant for 18 years.

The freshman Candace Parker led the Lady Vols with 25 points -- a point shy of a career high -- and 9 rebounds. But it was her foul that sent Pfeiffer to the line for three free throws with 2 minutes 30 seconds left. Pfeiffer made all three to tie the score at 60-60.

DUKE 97, CLEMSON 65 -- Lindsey Harding scored 17 points and Duke matched its best start at 20-0. The biggest question for the visiting Blue Devils (20-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) was whether they could keep their intensity up after beating Tennessee. The answer, after a sluggish start, was yes.

Duke used a 22-2 first-half run to take control and equal its perfect start in 2002-3, the last time it reached the Final Four. The Blue Devils can cap a big week -- and most likely rise to No. 1 in the rankings -- with a victory Sunday night over their archrival, No. 3 North Carolina.

Liz Shimek had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State (14-7, 4-4), which lost to a top 10 team for the second time this week.

L.S.U. 75, VANDERBILT 53 -- Sylvia Fowles had 26 points and 22 rebounds, while Seimone Augustus added 28 points, as No. 4 Louisiana State defeated No. 22 Vanderbilt. L.S.U. (17-1, 6-0 SEC) led by 28-27 at the half, but came back to outscore Vanderbilt, 47-26, in the second.

IN OTHER GAMES -- Jessica Davenport had 19 points and 14 rebounds and became Ohio State's career leader in blocked shots, leading the No. 7 Buckeyes (16-2, 7-1 Big Ten) past Wisconsin, 73-46. Crystal Langhorne scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, teaming with Shay Doron to help No. 6 Maryland (18-2, 5-1 A.C.C.) wear down Georgia Tech, 79-71.